Washington’s Lottery Achieves Top Responsible Gambling Certification

Washington’s Lottery has been awarded the highest level of responsible gambling certification thanks to its emphasis on balancing fundraising for state initiatives with supporting players who may face gambling-related harm.

Last week, Washington’s Lottery which provides entertainment to citizens and raises funds for the government, has achieved the country’s highest level of responsible gambling certification. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) officially certified Washington‘s Lottery for Responsible Gambling Verification Best Practices at the Sustaining Level. The Lottery is one of only three state lotteries to get this recognition, following Virginia and Ohio.

Kristi Weeks, Director of Legal Services for Washington‘s Lottery expressed the pride she feels after the operation reached this important standard. She further explained that the state agency has a unique responsibility as a seller of a gambling product.

Weeks also said the organization aims to balance the goal of raising funds for critical state initiatives such as education with the need to recognize and support the small percentage of players who may face gambling-related distress. The agency takes this responsibility very seriously and incorporates it into all its operations. Weeks further explained that the key to the lottery’s success is the integration of responsible gambling initiatives into each and every employee‘s position.

How the Lottery Received the Recognition?

One of the four primary goals of Washington‘s Lottery is to ensure public trust in lottery systems and operations. Promoting responsible gambling practices is a key feature of this. To do so, the Lottery provides information and tools that help players make informed choices and enjoy games responsibly. Furthermore, the organization ensures players and their families know how to access treatment for problem gambling.

In addition to focusing on players, Washington‘s Lottery also directs a lot of effort toward training its employees and retailers. The lottery says that retailers have the most frequent interactions with players and are the most likely to identify problematic behavior, particularly in regular customers. While the Lottery does not expect retailers to become counselors or to make a diagnosis, it wants them to embrace shared responsibility for the promotion of responsible gambling practices and awareness of problem gambling resources.

Washington‘s Lottery further focuses on responsible gambling advertising, as it is a tool to enable informed choice and encourage appropriate gambling behavior. This aligns with the organization‘s vision and values, as well as the principles of integrity.

Washington‘s Lottery recognizes that demonstrating social responsibility in all of our activities is an important component in our overall success. This is why we have identified promoting responsible gaming as a key objective in our 2018-2020 and 2020-2022 Strategic Business Plans in support of operational excellence.

Marcus J. Glasper, director

Glasper added that his team is bullish on integrating responsible gambling best practices into the lottery’s operations.